Next generation online threats

What is Browser Malware?

Malware, also known as Malicious Software, is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's awareness or permission. The expression is a general term to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.

The term "computer virus" is commonly misused to describe all kinds of malware, though not all malware are viruses.

Common types of browser malware:

Drive-by download

Downloaded spyware, computer virus or any kind of malware that happens without your knowledge. Drive-by downloads happen when you visit a corrupted website. This can be a purely malicious Web site, or a trusted mainstream Web site that has been hacked.

Keylogger

Software silently installed on your computer to capture, record and transmit to criminals your keystrokes to obtain passwords, financial information and more.

Phisher

Usernames and passwords are acquired by identity thieves masquerading as a trustworthy entity. Communications claiming to be from PayPal, eBay or online banks are commonly used to lure you into entering confidential information. Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail and often directs users to enter details at a harmful website that is disguised to impersonate real companies

Next generation online threats

What is a Zero Day attack?

A zero day browser attack is one that takes advantage of security holes for which a solution is not yet available. This could be any kind of malware that loads itself onto your computer through hidden code on a Web site.

By definition, zero day browser threats are unknown and unrecognizable and therefore antivirus and antispyware scans cannot yet detect them.

ZoneAlarm ForceField virtualization technology can shield you from such surprise attacks because it does not need to know the threat in order to stop it. Instead, it automatically catches and neutralizes stealth Web browser downloads in a safe, virtual data space that acts as your computer's stunt double.

Next generation online threats

I already have antivirus software running, why do I need ForceField?

The most important thing to remember is that antivirus software mostly searches for signatures of known viruses. If a new virus exploits your browser and infects your PC, you will only be protected by your antivirus software after:

The antivirus company has received and analyzed the virus

The antivirus company has added the signature for this virus to the signature database

You've installed the new signature database on your computer

Even anti-virus products with advanced heuristics (which can identify a new virus based on its behavior patterns without having first analyzed the virus) cannot keep up with all new viruses.

The conclusion:

ForceField doesn't need to know signatures or behavior patterns to protect you from these browser exploits. While Antivirus software is an important layer to help limit the damage caused by browser malware, it is not a complete protection solution against zero day attacks.

ZoneAlarm ForceField works well as an additional layer of security with your existing antivirus software.

Next generation online threats

I already have anti-spyware software running. Why do I need ForceField?

Anti-spyware updates are only provided once a signature of known spyware has been found. Additionally, only ZoneAlarm ForceField provides full protection against drive-by downloads no other anti-spyware solution compares.

The conclusion:

ForceField doesn't need to know signatures or behavior patterns to protect you from these browser exploits. While standalone Anti-spyware software can help you detect and limit the impact of some browser vulnerabilities, they do not protect you from all of them.

ZoneAlarm ForceField works well as an additional layer of security with your existing anti-spyware software.

Next generation online threats

1 in 10 websites is boobytrapped

If you use the Internet, it's highly likely you're already infected with some form of malware. In addition to crippling PC performance, these attacks silently steal or destroy your data, your identity, your financial holdings and your transaction privacy.

Financial loss - Rebecca, 35

I'm a full-time mom with a full-time career. I spend a lot of time banking and shopping online.

Recently I applied for a credit card. When my bank denied my application I was shocked - I have no outstanding debt and my credit score has always been excellent. As it turned out my identity was stolen and I was robbed. These identity thieves were running up thousands of dollars in debt under my name and it's all because I was tricked into entering my social security and banking account numbers on a fake website that posed as my bank's website. In the end, I had to spend a huge amount of time and hassle trying to recover my money and my identity.

Data loss - Tabitha, 29

I am the owner of a small real estate business that is rapidly growing. To help manage this growth and keep track of everything, I recently hired an office manager. She spent several days organizing and uploading all of our important data in to her new computer - including sensitive information about our employees and customers.

Recently I needed access to this data but when I tried to locate the information everything was wiped out. Without anyone's knowledge, we were the victims of an online attack that silently installed spyware, destroying all of our PC files. It was amazing how quickly we lost extremely valuable data. Most of the lost data cannot be recovered, and I am in fear about how this will affect my business and its reputation.

Browser hijackers can install dangerous spyware that can cause irreparable damage to your files and programs as well as jeopardize your personal information and identity.

Poor PC performance - Bob, 25

I'm an avid blogger and social networker, pretty much constantly connected. I like downloading the latest photos and video clips from my friends. And I really don't pay much attention to whether it is safe. I mean, why should I? My ISP says they have the latest protection available.

Lately I've noticed my computer is really slowing down. It takes forever to boot up, and my streaming video performance is terrible. I've spent a huge amount of time troubleshooting the problem, but still can't seen get my computer back up and running properly. As it turns out I was infected by malware disguised as a video file and silently installed itself on my machine.

Malware in action can consume a substantial amount of your computer's memory, leaving limited resources for other legitimate programs to use. This can lead to extremely sluggish performance of vital programs, like your Internet browser or operating system and a slow PC overall.